PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria County Regional Superintendent of Schools says Governor JB Pritzker’s new mandate requiring all teachers to get tested or fully vaccinated against COVID-19 might be a bit problematic to enforce.
Teachers must receive at least the first dose of vaccine by September 5th. But Beth Crider says the requirement would likely be subject to negotiation with teachers’ unions, but…
“In any contract bargaining agreement, you can’t break the law,” said Crider. “So, if this is a mandate, there will be the option for the weekly testing. But, quite honestly, the devil is in the details.”
But, Crider says, weekly testing for teachers and staff has a bit of a snag.
“We have not worked out, what does that look like to get tested weekly, how do you report that back to your administration,” Crider said. “We still have to work out some of those things.”
Crider says teachers unions, however, have largely supported COVID-19 vaccines and testing, even if individual teachers have rejected it.
Overall, she says the ROE did major work last year converting an entire school system to remote learning, but she doesn’t necessarily want to go back to that long-term, since in-person learning is significantly better.
Crider — a former early childhood teacher — says all the kids have been wearing masks no problems at the center she used to teach at. But, Crider says it’s up to parents to set a much better example for wearing masks.
“If we all work together now to try to get through this, hopefully we can get to the place where the masking will be optional,” Crider said. “And, we need the vaccine for 12-and-under as well.”
The Peoria City/County Health Department and other healthcare agencies are sending a joint letter to health care providers for children regarding guidance for when and how to issue exemptions, based on recommendations from the American Academy for Pediatrics.
